The HCEA Meeting is the premier event for the industry’s leading healthcare exhibit marketers and medical association meeting and exhibition professionals.

Downing was represented at the show by Rick Harder, Mike Carano and Karen Gallaher. The show was a great opportunity for us to see some old friends and to meet some new ones! The event was a huge success with more than 68 exhibitors and 450 attendees.

It seems a fitting question for the winter we’ve had here in the Midwest.

In my 18 years at Downing Exhibits we’ve never been asked to build a snowman, but we have pulled off some amazing things. This past year, I’ve seen a larger than life roll of Duck tape that wowed not only the client but my peers as well.

My job has evolved from being a production artist / graphic designer to having much more involvement with the clients I work for. I often get asked in the planning stages of a project if something is possible and I always do my best to find a way to make it happen. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great people with great ideas. These people make my job not only easy but enjoyable as well.

And although I haven’t had to build a snowman yet, I’m always open to the challenge.

The Winter Olympics are over, but snow and cold are still competing here in northern Ohio. We didn’t even have a January thaw this year like we usually do. Though it doesn’t look like it outside, according to the calendar, spring is coming and will be here in only three weeks. (Hooray!)

At Downing Exhibits, we have been busy preparing for the spring trade show season. Currently, we are working on exhibits that will be shipping in April and May. Working ahead of schedule is a way of life for those of us in show biz, and it really helps to keep focused on warmer days just around the corner.

March Madness

A basketball player might grab a rebound and dribble the ball down the court. It’s not as easy as it looks; the player has to know how much time is left, keep the opposition in view, make clean passes to teammates, look for openings in the defense and all while driving for that looming and unmovable hoop.

Clients of Downing Exhibits count on us to know every deadline and make sure each is met with time to spare. It’s not as easy as it looks; it requires specialized skills to gather information, communicate effectively with clients and vendors, execute each day’s activities, plan ahead for the weeks to come, all while keeping an eye on that looming and unmovable show opening date.

If you are looking for a teammate who can make your trade show experience a slam dunk, contact Downing Exhibits now at 800-398-4425 or email us at sales@downingexhibits.com.

Below will be the first in our Downing “Team Spotlight” series! Stay tuned on the last day of each month to learn a little more about a different member of our amazing team!

My daughters have been fans of the television show Project Runway for many years. One of the supervising designers on the show has a tagline that he says on every episode when giving advice to the competitors. “Make it work!” I borrow his line when I tell my kids about what I do at Downing Exhibits.

I make it work.

In thirty years of experience in the cabinetmaking and exhibit industries, I’ve seen hundreds of remarkable design concepts for furniture, cabinetry, museum displays, retail interiors, trade show exhibits, and corporate lobbies. My job is to find the best way to turn these concepts into reality while maintaining quality and staying within budget; a true balancing act.

Sometimes this can be done by using time-tested materials and processes; sometimes I have to invent something new to make it work. Usually, it’s a little bit of both. I sweat the details so our customers don’t have to; every process, material, fastener and finish contributes to the success of the project. Nothing can be overlooked.

In the end, all these factors can be reduced to one simple question: Does it work? If so, our clients are happy and I’m satisfied that I’ve done my job.

Happy New Year from Downing’s Design department!

In 2013, we made a conscious effort to ramp up our awareness and use of the latest technology that will assist us and our clients in the challenges that face us in the fast-changing world of marketing and sales. In 2014, we hope to bring our clients an even higher level of service and support. We’re investigating exciting and groundbreaking solutions to improved efficiency and productivity!

This year, I hope we all can challenge each other to think outside the box, think big, and harness the technology for the purpose of educating, stimulating and increasing the interaction that ultimately elevate and improve our levels of business.